Coaching
by stride.for.victory
Summary: I wanted to write up Episode 8 of Season 2 and make it more intimate. Most of the dialect is translated from the English Dub of the episode, but I did tweak and add more speech between characters and such. Point of view alternates from Makoto and Haru. I own nothing. Thanks for taking interest! :)


At a very young age, I knew I would be swimming for as long as my body allowed me to. Swimming quickly became a leisurely activity to me, and the water a sort of sanctuary. But the one thing I never thought about doing was teaching people how to swim, especially little kids.

I had never thought about it before, not until coach Sasabe stopped coming to our swim practices, and I found out it was because of how busy things were at Iwatobi Swim Club Returns, ISCR for short.

Goa—pronounced Koa—was the one who told me about Sasabe. "Coach has been really busy with running ISCR lately, so he hasn't had a chance to go over the records from the district tournament, and I just need another set of eyes on them."

"I'd hate for him not to see them, and it'll probably be dark by the time practice is over with…" I thought out loud, then turned by attention back to Goa. "So, if you want, I could drop them off on my way home." I smiled.

"Really?!" she gasped happily. "Wow, thanks a bunch!"

So later that day, I stopped by ISCR and saw just how packed the place was. I caught sight of coach Sasabe when I walked into the pool area, and called out to him as he ran toward a group of young swimmers. "Ah, well if it isn't ol' Makoto." he greeted, securing a floaty around one of the kids.

"Geez, it looks like things are pretty busy here tonight." I pointed out, probably not needing to do so; it was obvious, but I thought to strike up small talk.

"Yeah! We're hopping and all, which is great! Just sorta hard on a skeleton crew… Sorry I haven't been able to watch your practices, it's been _crazy_." He exasperated, still prepping his young students with floaties.

"Wow…" I sighed in awe. I was surprised ISCR had become so popular so quickly. Then, remembering why I had come, I pulled out the tournament records. "Here. Goa wanted me to pass off the final numbers from District." I told him, but before he could even turn his head my direction, a girl from the group of young swimmers called out to him. "Hurry up coach, we're waiting!"

"Right! Have no fear, I'm on my way!" he called back to her, feverishly gathering the remaining floating devices and running to put them back. The man must have felt so overwhelmed.

"Hey, coach! Wait!" I called to him then. He stopped in his tracks and finally looked at me again. "Uh, I could maybe give you a hand." I suggested gently. He was ecstatic to hear.

So, since then, I'd been helping him out at ISCR when I wasn't at school or at swim practice with the guys.

Speaking of which, when I told them about my helping at ISCR, they were surprised to no end, especially Nagisa. For some reason, perhaps because him and I spend a lot of time around each other, he turned to Haru and asked if he was aware of my involvement at ISCR.

"It's news to me." he simply stated.

I kicked myself internally. 'Crap, that's right. I forgot to tell Haru.' I had even walked with him to school, like usual, and hadn't mentioned anything about it.

But, quickly regaining some composure, I stated, "I would've said something sooner, but I wanted to tell you all at once." They reminded me about regionals and were worried I would have to miss practice in order to help out at ISCR, but I assured them that wouldn't happen. "I promise, it won't interfere with the team in any way. It's just a couple of times a week, no big deal at all."

All but Haru seemed willing to come help out at the place too, but that idea was quickly wiped off the table. It wasn't surprising to hear the others had an already full plate of their own to deal with. Anyhow, when Rei turned to Haru and asked for his thoughts about the whole thing, he replied dryly, "All I care about is swimming. Makoto can do whatever he wants."

I had to admit, it struck me off guard. But he wasn't wrong after all, so I kept a positive vibe.

/

How could Makoto even think about anything other than the swim team at a time like this? Just yesterday I had proposed a training regimen to the lot of them, and everyone was excited to put it to work. And now, the very next day, Makoto tells us he's helping out at ISCR. But who was I to tell him he couldn't?

If somehow he'll be able to juggle school, homework, ISCR and still be able to perform his best at practice, I'll be impressed. I've known Makoto for far too long to even think he'd be able to. He's always had trouble sticking to his schedule.

Even Nagisa and Rei, both younger than Mako and I, had their eyes set on the big tournament, coming up in a little over two weeks. Even they had more sense to focus on school and swim practice than he did.

They were also gracious enough to encourage Makoto with the decision he made. I kept my mouth shut after that. I didn't have anything nice to say.

However, I did want Makoto to stay at our practices longer, and focus on the training regimen I put together. But again, who was I to tell him what to do and how to act?

/

"I have a question: what are we going to be working on today?" one of my ever-curious students asked me.

It was my first afternoon on the job, and I'd already been granted an ISCR teaching suit and given pay. The money wasn't a necessity at all, and I tried to convince coach Sasabe to let me teach the kids as a form of community service—I needed the hours for school either way—but he didn't want to hear it. "There's no way I'll allow you to work for free when all the other teachers are getting paid. You wouldn't think it'd be unfair for _them_ to get paid and for you to work _free_? Where is your logic, boy?!"

It was clear Sasabe didn't have the time to argue, so I surrendered and let ISCR compensate me for my time.

"I thought we'd start things off with a little kicking practice, how does that sound?" I replied as I knelt to the student that asked. The entire group of kids cheered happily. I was sure any activity I proposed they would love to do. However, there was this one boy who remained mute. He had been rather shy since Sasabe introduced me to the group, but I didn't try to think much of it. I figured he'd loosen up once I started teaching him along with the other tikes.

However, my assumption was wrong. He looked uncomfortable the entire time. And I noticed when the group submerged below the water—I wanted to train them to hold their breath for a slightly longer period—he remained above the water. It was out of the question for even his chin to come in contact with the pool's water.

After my session with the group was over, I noticed that same boy standing alone by the entrance, holding his hands behind his back. I recalled that he was too afraid to swim without a kickboard. I hoped he didn't feel lonely or left out in any way. But just in case, I went over to him and knelt.

"Hayato." I called to him gently. He shook himself from his thoughts and turned his attention to me. "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?" I asked, ever so gently. "You seem upset."

He quickly turned his gaze from me then. Maybe he didn't like to be called out. After a pause, he muttered, "It's swimming. I _hate_ it." I raised my brows in shock at that. I knew he didn't like to put his face in the water, but I didn't think he hated swimming all together.

Just then, someone walked through the entrance and called to him. Hayato immediately brightened up at the sight of him and called happily, "Big brother!"

My shock now turned from Hayato's confession to the boy he called his brother. Pastel strawberry blonde hair, purple-hued eyes, a smile you could never forget. "That's Kisumi," my mouth uttered before I could catch myself, but there was no doubt in my mind that was my friend from middle school.

The tall boy then looked over at me in surprise as I stood up. "Kisumi, what's up!?" I called as I made my way over to him and Hayato. We were still relative in height like we'd always been.

"Makoto?" he recalled. "Hey man!"

"This is nuts! I haven't seen you in forever!" I said in awe.

He nodded and agreed. "I guess we haven't seen each other since junior high." He smiled warmly.

•

The next day after practice, Haru and I stayed later than the others. At the showers, I told him about my encounter with our old friend.

"Can you believe it? I was teaching his little brother without even noticing their resemblance. His brother's name is Hayato, and he can't be older than five or six. He's got the same eyes as Kisu, too. Huh, I must have really been occupied not to notice he was his little brother." I laughed as I rinsed the last bits of shampoo from my hair.

"Kisumi, huh?" Haru inquired as he turned his shower water off.

"I know! Talk about a blast from the past, right? I haven't thought about that guy in who knows how long…"

/

'Me either.' I thought to myself, towel drying my hair. 'But now that you've mentioned him…' I remembered our times back in junior high. He and Makoto would spend a lot of time hanging out. They would always be on the same team in gym class and have a blast playing together.

But I distinctly remembered Kisumi was _my_ friend before he was Mako's.

We were in the same class, and I remembered he approached me on the first day and started a random conversation. He always did that thing where he'd put his hand on my shoulder and get in my face. I was never a fan of it, but I didn't want to be rude.

I recalled another time, one that really stood out above the rest. Once, during our class' lunch break, he took a seat behind me and opened up his lunchbox. He called to me in a sing-songy voice, "Hey Haru, look what _I_ have."

I sighed to myself and looked over my shoulder. When my eyes caught sight of what he had on his fork, my body acted before my mind could think. My eyes went wide and I turned all the way around in my chair, sliding it back to meet Kisumi at his desk.

He laughed. "That's right: celery wrapped in fresh mackerel!"

As he spoke, I leaned my mouth toward the deliciousness he had waiting for me to taste, but then stopped short when I felt my classmates glaring at me. "What is he doing?" their expressions clearly read. They must have turned to look at me when I slid my chair back. Those old wooden things were always loud.

I met everyone's eyes before I hung my head in embarrassment. Kisu laughed again, but this time I didn't know if it was to mock me or break the tension. "Don't mind them, Haru. Just try it."

I took another look around the room to double check no one was watching this time, and stuffed the celery wrapped mackerel in my mouth where it belonged. I hummed in pleasure and nearly melted in my seat. It was such a simple recipe, but it sure was a keeper.

Kisu, of course, laughed again, this time at my liking of his snack. "I _knew_ you'd like it." I wasn't sure, but maybe the light from outside helped to warm his grin. But then again, Kisumi's smile was always warm, no matter the weather.

Anyhow, I recalled yet another time when Kisumi was around. It was right after school, and Makoto and I were walking to swim practice when that overly-energetic bug swooped out of nowhere and draped his stupid arm over Mako's shoulders. He had never done that to me, so I wondered why he felt the need to sling his entire arm over Makoto. But regardless, I watched them walk off laughing together, still trying to figure out where he'd come from.

The next thing I knew, Kisu looked at me over his shoulder, spinning a basketball in his hand, and stuck his tongue out. From that day on, I was unable to look at him the same way.

Who did he think he was?

Makoto then shook me from my thoughts. "He's defiantly one of the last people I ever expected to see again." he said, then reminded me Kisumi's little brother was in his class.

"So what?" I groaned as I sounded the corner to the club's lounge.

"So isn't that crazy? I mean, you guys were joined at the hip in junior high!"

"Not really." I mumbled.

"Oh…"

'Yeah, Makoto. Get your facts straight.' I replied mentally.

"Hey, you know what? If you have a little time on Sunday, you should drop by and say hello!" he then suggested merrily.

I stopped short, processing his words. Maybe he wasn't aware that Kisumi and I didn't see eye-to-eye anymore, but I didn't see a need to inform him at that moment. Instead I threw him a look that seemed to throw him off guard. "If I can find the time." I made up quickly, then made my way to my shelf to change.

I never did anything important on Sunday's, but I wanted to hint at the fact that I didn't want to bump into Kisumi. However, my plan to avoid ISCR took a left turn, and I was greeted by Makoto's mother at my front door that Sunday afternoon.

"Hello, Haru. I hate to bother you, but could you bring Makoto's lunch to work? I'm terribly busy and have many errands to run."

I agreed, if only to be polite, and unwillingly made my way over to ISCR. Once I arrived, I let a woman at the front desk know I had come to see Makoto. She dialed a number on the phone and asked for him to come to the main entrance.

"You came!" he cheered, jogging toward me.

"Well, I'm only here because you forgot your lunch." I admitted. "Your mom asked me to swing by and give it to you."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that, but thanks, man." He seemed flattered by my arrival for some reason.

Coach Sasabe then rounded the corner and greeted us, surprised to see me standing with Makoto. He told me to make myself at him and take a dip in the pool if I wanted to. I eagerly agreed.

I regretted coming to the place at first, not wanting to bump into Kisumi because god knows he could swoop in out of nowhere at any time, but I was glad Sasabe had offered me to take a swim; it calmed me some.

Once coach flew off to interview someone for a part-time shift, Makoto and I stood against the wall adjacent to the History of ISCR wall. "You wanna hear something weird? Hayato told me he hated swimming." I looked over at Mako at the sound of that. "It's been bothering me ever since he said it. What do you think I should do, Haru?"

Like I knew. I didn't give a damn about Kisumi, so why did I have to care about Hayato? But I decided to tell him the first thing that came to mind. "Don't fight." Makoto turned his attention to me then. "Hey, the water is what it is. You either accept it or you don't."

I heard him laugh through his nose. "Sorry man, I'm not going to say that to a little kid."

I was surprised for a second. I thought what I said was solid advice, but I guess not. 'Well, I tried. What do you want from me?'

Then, with a quick glance at his watch, Makoto bid be goodbye and left to do his job. "'Kay." was all I could utter before he disappeared from my sight.

I tried not to think further about Kisumi or his brother; they were none of my concern after all. So I went looking for the locker room to store my clothes in, and went for a light swim in the pool adjacent to the one's the new comers learned at.

/

Right after the students thanked me and left the pool area, Kisumi rounded the corner. "Hey, Makoto."

"Kisumi!" I greeted, happy to see him again. "Just give me a second. I'll be right over." After I finished putting the floaties away, I made my way over to my old friend. "So, how did Hayato do today?"

I had to be honest. "Not great. He's still too scared to swim without the kickboard."

Kisumi's expression drooped at the sound of that, so much so I was surprised to see him so upset. "All well. He'll get there soon." he nearly mumbled.

I was too upset to see him in such a sad state to change the subject. It looked as though he was blaming himself for something. "Hey, uh," I began. A thought had occurred to me. "There's something I'd been wondering about." Kisumi blinked in surprise. "Let me go change first." I smiled, remembering I still had the ISCR suit on. "I'll meet you outside by the bike stands."

After I changed and gathered my things, I stepped out through the main entrance and looked to the bike stands where I saw Kisumi waiting for me. He looked so upset, I was afraid to tell him what was on my mind, but I gathered myself and approached the topic gently.

"Ever since my first day, I noticed that Hayato seemed…uncomfortable. At first I thought he was just shy, since I was a new teacher and all. But then, after practice that day, I saw him standing alone, deep in thought. I asked him what the matter was, and…" I paused, wondering if I had even heard the poor boy right. "Hayato told me that he hates swimming. Any idea what that's about?"

I looked over at Kisumi then. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. I added gently, "If I knew why, it might help me reach him."

Kisu took a deep breath before he spoke. "Truth is…it's probably my fault." I hummed in a question. "A while back, we were out on a boat in the ocean with the rest of the family. Hayato got to screwing around on the deck and…he fell overboard." My eyes went wide. "He almost drowned out there. The water wasn't deep, but still… We were lucky they got to him as quickly as they did or, well… The poor kid. The whole thing must have been terrifying for him." He spoke with a husk in his throat.

"That does sound really scary." I agreed.

Kisumi went on after a short pause. "Ever since the incident, he's hated his swimming class at school. If I'd been better about watching him on that damn boat, none of this would have happened. Things would be different. He wouldn't be afraid… Guess I feel like I need to do something to make up for my mistake."

"Kisumi…" I felt so bad for him. He shouldn't have been beating himself up the way he was.

"But…as much as I want him to get past it... If he hates it that much then he should just quit. Especially if its causing him pain."

I had to cut in. "Wait." I felt him look up at me. "If it's alright, I want to help Hayato learn to swim."

"You do?" he inquired.

"You wanna hear something kind of strange? He reminds me a little of _myself_ when I was that age, ya know?" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Kisu still looked surprised. "Look, neither of you should give up just yet. So please, let me try." I asked of him.

He smiled then, and I was so glad he did. "You really love swimming more than anything else, don't you Makoto?" I chuckled. He then stood up swiftly, with a sort newfound motivation. "Alright. I'm leaving Hayato's future to you, my friend. If there's anything I can do to help along the way, just say the word."

"Thanks! I won't let you down." I promised.

Just then, something seemed to have caught his attention.

/

'This must be Kisumi's brother.' I told myself.

I had been enjoying gliding through the water of the pool at ISCR so much, I hadn't realized the time. Once I heard a crowd of people walking down the hall, I glanced at the clock. It was a little after 5 pm. I looked out the windows and saw the orange glow the sun cast on the clouds, and knew the clock wasn't lying.

I figured the building closed earlier on Sunday's, so I lifted myself from the serene pool water and made my way back to the locker room. After I changed and began to make my way out, I walked past the break room and found who must have been Hayato, sitting alone. After a moment's observation, I confirmed it was. 'Makoto was right, he does have Kisumi's eyes.'

I didn't remember much about Kisumi, but his purple-hued eyes were otherworldly.

I didn't say anything to his little brother, but when he caught sight of me, I smiled politely and continued out of the building. I wondered if Makoto had already left for home, but when I walked out, I heard a quiet conversation going on to my right. One of the voices was familiar but the other was foreign to me. Sure enough, the voice I recognized was Makoto's, and he was sitting on the bike stands with who must have been Kisumi. One look at his pastel hair and purple-hued eyes, and there was no doubt about it.

"Hey man!" Makoto greeted.

"Wowh, Haru!" Kisumi gasped, quickly grabbing his bookbag and running over to me. 'Still energetic as ever.' I thought to myself. He slapped a hand on my shoulder—classic—and rejoiced at seeing me again. "Wow! Oh man, it's like junior high all over again!" I wasn't as ecstatic to see him. I tried to let him know by pushing his hand off my shoulder, since I couldn't utter a word over his rambling.

"I haven't seen you since Rin left to study abroad, remember?"

'No I don't remember, Kisumi.' I retorted, mentally responding to him.

"We kinda lost touch after that, though." he laughed, slinging a heavy arm over my shoulders.

'And I'm glad we did. That's what you deserve after swooping in and taking Makoto from under me.'

"Aw, come on, why the long face?" he laughed further, rocking me in a way I found mocking.

'I'm dead inside. Makoto, get this thing off me.' I told him mentally, giving him the most unimpressed look. He only laughed and turned to Kisu. 'Wow, okay, thanks.'

"You went to the same elementary school as Rin didn't you?" he recalled.

"Oh, yeah. Sousuke went there, too." Kisu recalled as well.

While they were having a nice walk down memory lane, I continued to suffer. "Makoto," I pleaded.

"Crap! Is it that late already?"

"Hey, let's go." I urged.

Kisumi's attention turned back to me then. "What's wrong, man, you mad or something? It's been so long, I thought you'd be glad to see me."

I let out a sighed before replying to him. "Whatever, man, I'm glad." I monotoned. 'Is that enough to get you off my back?'

"Yeah, real convincing." he chuckled.

Just then, Hayato stepped out from the building, and Kisumi finally lifted himself from me and dashed over to him. "We should catch up or something sometime!" he suggested over his shoulder.

'Yeah, count me out.' I thought to myself with a sigh.

•

I didn't get much of a break from Kisumi and his brother the next few days, however. Makoto kept bringing Hayato up, asking us what the best way to help him learn to swim would be. I didn't have a problem with him helping the kid, I just wished he'd stop brining him up when I was around.

First at practice, and later on our walk home from school.

"I'm afraid if I give him too much advice, I might confuse him and make him more scared to swim than he already is." Makoto huffed.

"We were all scared of swimming at one point. Think about what you did to overcome your fears and start there." I advised. That seemed to get his gears turning.

"Well, when I first started out… I realized when I swam the backstroke, I could see the sky. And then I wasn't scared anymore." He seemed to recalled the experience from his childhood. "But, these days they don't usually teach backstroke until much later…"

"Who gives a damn about what _they_ do?" I then inquired. Makoto turned to me then in surprise. " _You're_ the teacher. Do it how _you_ want to do it."

"Yeah?" he asked in surprise, then gave my words some thought. "You know, you're right. I might just give it a try."

And from then on—thank goodness—he quit brining the kid and his older brother up around us.

/

The next day after school, I put Haru's advice to work. I started class at ISCR with the usual basics, then suggested we practice pass-offs in a relay.

Most of my students cheered with excitement—all but Hayato unfortunately—and the usual curious boy asked, "Wait, what's a relay? That sounds cool!"

I explained ask I got everyone in order. "We'll split up into two groups. The first person from one group will swim to the person waiting in the other group, high-five the next swimmer, and then it's their turn. You can stop and stand up in the middle if you need to. Ok, you guys ready?!"

After they cheered, I splashed my hand into the water and set them off. They did as they were instructed, swimming in the style they were most comfortable with, and I cheered them on.

Before he knew it, Hayato was up to swim next. He looked tense from the start, but the poor kid couldn't even put his goggles over his eyes without struggling. "Hayato," I called, lowering myself to him. "I've got an idea. How about we try a different style of swimming? It's a kind where you don't have to put your face in the water. You can basically look at the sky when you swim."

"That sounds cool, but there's no way I could do that." he said through a lump in his throat.

"I promise to hold you up the whole time, so don't worry." I encouraged. "No matter what happens, I won't let you sink."

He still looked unconvinced and scared as ever. "I can't do it…because…I- I'm scared!" he exclaimed, tears now rimming his eyes.

I took one of his shaking hands, balled-up into a tight fist, and assured him, "It's okay. I won't let go, you have my word. Trust me."

After some thought, he seemed to loosen up, and he agreed to trust me. "But isn't it…scary?"

"Only 'til it's not." I smiled warmly, then got him floating on his back. "All you need to do is kick your legs in the water. Don't worry, you've got this!"

And slowly but surely, Hayato opened his tense eyes a little way into his swimming, and looked like a new person. There was an expression of awe that painted his face, and I was more than glad to see him finally enjoy being in the water. Once he made it to the other side, he high-fived the last swimmer and smiled warmly up at me. I smiled back, genuinely happy he'd found a comfortable style of swimming.

A voice then came from the balcony. "Hayato!" it cheered. We both turned and saw Kisumi waving his arms with a wide grin. _"Hayato!"_

The young swimmer waved back and laughed for the first time since he became my student. The sight truly warmed my heart.

After class, the other swimmers congratulated Hayato for his bravery and good work. I sighed to myself, satisfied with how well the session went that day. Then, just as I went to put back the last kickboard, someone tugged at my hand.

I looked down and found that it was none other than Hayato. "So, I- uh… Well… I want you to know… I'm not afraid anymore! It was really fun!" he gleamed.

I blushed slightly, simultaneously shocked and flattered. I knelt to him again and told him, "That's because you worked _so_ hard out there."

He looked ecstatic. "Wow, thank you! This was amazing, coach!" he exclaimed, gripping my hand a little tighter out of excitement.

•

The sun had set now, and I could hear crickets chirping through the open windows of the locker room. I reflected on that afternoon's class, smiling to myself like an idiot the whole time as I changed and gathered my things. It just felt so rewarding and fulfilling knowing I could teach kids to swim, and make it so enjoyable for them.

Figuring out how to teach Hayato was the hardest puzzle to solve, but I was grateful my teammates at Iwatobi High tried to help me figure things out.

On my way out that evening, coach Sasabe caught me and told me he hired a new person for the part-time gig he mentioned a few days earlier. "You're off the hook!" he said joyfully. I wasn't all that thrilled to hear the news. "It'll be a week before he starts, so I could use you until then." He then got a better look at my face and noticed my dismay. I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to play things off. "Oh yeah, good news…"

"Well, thanks for the help and be safe going home." He said, bidding me goodbye.

"Right… Thanks, coach." I nearly huffed. I could feel my shoulders slump.

This wasn't satisfying news at all.

The week I had left to work wasn't even a week. I only worked Wednesday's, Friday's and Sunday's, and school and swim practice with the team kept me from visiting ISCR any other day. It was truly glum news.

/

The weekend flew by as it always did during the school year, and nothing rather interesting occurred at school the whole week, so before I knew it, Friday rolled back around. I walked home from swim practice alone that afternoon, since Makoto had work at ISCR.

I didn't mind it too much. I got a chance to really listen to the ocean as I walked past it, and feel it's warm, salty air on my face. I watched the waves wash up against the sand in a gentle manner. I thought about taking a swim after I had dinner.

But when I reached the stairs to my house, I was stopped by Ran and Ren. They jumped on me, asking if I could take them to ISCR so they could watch Mako teach. Their mother then came through the door and calmed them down.

"I'm terribly sorry." she laughed. "If it's no trouble for you, would you be able to take them? I'm terribly busy." I wondered what Makoto's mother was always so busy doing, but I didn't question her.

"Sure thing." I replied politely. "Just let me go change."

"Oh, of course! It's no rush. Come to our house for dinner, its already made." She smiled, and I nodded in agreement.

I supposed swimming in the calm ocean was out of the question, and since I was taking Ran and Ren to ISCR, I would have to watch them, so I couldn't take a dip in the pool either. It didn't bother me too much, however. Swimming at practice just had to be enough that day. There was always tomorrow. On the other hand, I was glad I got another chance to see Makoto.

After dinner, I practically ran after Makoto's siblings, trying to keep up with their quick feet. Once we made it to ISCR, we were fortunate enough to find Mako by the entrance. They ran to embrace him.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked them with a smile.

"Haru brought us by," they explained. "We wanted to surprise you, big brother!"

"They both said they wanted to see your coaching in action. That cool?" I added.

"Yes, of course it is!" Mako laughed. After he told them to be on their best behavior, we went our separate ways. Makoto went to change into his pool attire while we went to find seats up on the balcony.

It felt odd being on the other side of the spectrum; being a swimmer, _I_ was usually the one being watched and taught how to better my swimming style. But it didn't bother me one bit. I got to see just how much teaching those young swimmers meant to him. He looked so happy and at home.

/

After that afternoon's class came the moment I dreaded. "Well, uh…" I began, trying to keep a warm grin on my face. "This is sudden but, while it's been a real treat, today is officially my last day as your coach."

My student's expressions slumped. "What?!" they gasped in unison. That was when I stopped pretending to be comfortable leaving them; my grin fell.

"But why?" one of them whined.

"This is no fair! I wanted to swim the relay with you again!" another one cried. It choked me up.

They then made me promise to come and visit them on occasion. I laughed nervously, feeling my cheeks pinken. Hayato then spoke above the lot of them. "You have to promise us. Do you _swear_ you will, coach?"

I propped my hands on my knees and assured them. "I will _defiantly_ come visit you."

"Alright!" they cheered.

"Well, I guess that's the end of today's lesson you guys. Thank you all so _very_ much!" I smiled and bowed.

"You're the best coach in the whole wide world!" they told me brightly. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

•

The pool area was now clear of students and teachers. I knew the janitors would be in shortly to clean the floors, but until they showed, I spent every last minute I had left by that pool, replaying the memories my students and I made.

I leaned against the wall, wondering if there was any way I could get another day with those kids, or maybe a different position working at ISCR, just so I could still hear their laughter.

But I knew I wouldn't have the time anymore. Balancing school and swim practice was difficult enough. Plus, with regionals around the corner, I knew continuing to help at ISCR would throw me off. I just wished there was another way around the current situation.

And to think, I had offered to help Sasabe two weeks ago. "I guess it's true, time really does fly by." I mumbled to myself as I absorbed everything one last time.

The sound of footsteps brought me out of my trance, and Haru rounded the corner and called to me, tossing me a towel as he did. I thanked him.

"Ready to go? Ran and Ren are waiting." he informed me.

Before I could reply, we heard more footsteps coming from behind Haru, and sure enough Kisumi entered. "Hey, whats up guys?" he asked in a friendly manner. I noticed Haru's expression go sour. As sour as he was willing to show, anyhow.

"I just heard: is today really going to be your last day?" he inquired.

I signed nasally. "Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"Hayato was kind of upset." he informed me. "He told me he wished you could be his swim coach forever." he added, chuckling.

I smiled again. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"You're a great coach, Makoto." He continued sincerely. "Thanks to you, Hayato finally learned how to swim. And I will always be grateful for that." He bowed his head in a respectful manner, but it was a bit too much for me. I shook my head, telling him so.

Kisumi then changed the subject, turning to Haru as he said, "Hey, it was really great catching up with you guys. I can see that neither of you changed one bit!"

/

That was uncalled for, Kisumi revealing his admiration for Makoto's teaching his brother and all. I was genuinely surprised, but I didn't dare let it show.

"I assume you two are still swimming together, right?" he then said, turning back to Makoto.

"Oh, yeah. Actually, we're getting ready for regionals." he recalled.

"Awesome!" Kisu cheered. I swore I felt his breath on my face; it sent a shiver of disgust down my back.

"Thanks, man! They're coming up soon, so we've got a lot of work to do." Mako added with an exasperated undertone.

"Wowh…" Kisumi breathed in awe. "That's really amazing, man!" I could feel that stupid arm coming before he even raised it. "Congratulations!"

It appeared as though, whenever Kisumi got excited, he used his arms to get his energy out by draping them over one's shoulders. I wasn't going to let them be _my_ shoulders, however.

"Actually, Rin and Sousuke will be both be at the tournament swimming for Samazuka." Makoto further informed Kisumi, for some odd reason. As he did, I stepped toward him and turned to face Kisumi. He always violated my personal space.

"Wow…" he awed again, then hiccupped, realizing something. "Wait- Sousuke too? That's great news! Then Sousuke's shoulder must be healed."

That revelation heightened both of our attentions. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?" Mako inquired.

Kisu got to explaining. "Well I saw him at the hospital once, must have been a few weeks ago. I was there because I'd fallen badly at basketball practice and messed up my wrist. Nothing too bad happened to it, though. Anyway, I saw him come out of the physical therapy room. He didn't look too happy to be there, but who is ever happy to be at the hospital?" he cackled. Couldn't he just get to the point already? "I called to him and he stopped short and slowly turned to me. He looked all shocked and then angry. I didn't know what his deal was. Maybe he hated the physical therapy. But if he's competing at the regional level, I'm guessing that means they fixed it!" he smiled. "Awesome for him!"

Someone then called to Kisumi, and he quickly bid us goodbye and went on his way. 'Well…what a note to leave us on.' I thought to myself, turning to Makoto in confusion.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Please review. :)_


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